Rise of the Phoenix
by Jamie'Juliet'M
Summary: A Neglected Naruto fanfic /A fighting genius, overlooked/To be honest I haven't really thought of my family as my family in a long while/'One day, I WILL be Hokage of the village. I'm gonna surpass the old man and I'm gonna show him...show him I'm worthwhile. No matter what, I'm gonna show ALL of them I'm worthwhile! To be reborn from the ashes that burned me...BELIEVE IT!
1. Chapter 1

**-Chapter 1—My World—**

'Another day in miserable paradise…' I thought to myself as I pull on my clothes. I decided to skip the fancy ninja clothes mother bothered to buy for me when I went shopping with her and the twins. She felt embarrassed about me when the store owner didn't see anything for me as I looked like I was supposed to be entering the Academy soon. She bought the first fancy looking outfit that was my size and I stuffed it into the back of closet the second I got home, left in there to collect dust.

I breathed in the air deeply, practically heaving half of my body out my enormous window. I had a nice view of the village. I was bracing myself for the physically, mentally, and emotionally tiring day it would probably be today. It always was.

I could already hear the annoying squeals of laughter from the two boys, twins, who didn't appreciate what they stole from me 7 years ago. They stole my parents.

Junsei and Shinzou, the prodical sons of legend, our saviours from the terror of the nine-tails, and blah, blah, blah…. Honestly I could've cared less. They're just a pair of spoilt rotten brats with bright tomato coloured hair.

I headed downstairs quickly to make breakfast. A year or so ago mother and father made me do breakfast every morning. They used the "wanting our son to have more responsibility" excuse. I don't know why the bothered since all three of us knew they just wanted to be lazy in the mornings.

Finishing up some eggs and bacon I made the twins' favourite teddy bear shaped waffles. It was their damn birthday today and I can already see the thirty-five different families coming up to greet them and boost up their already over-sized egos that have been developing, them and our parents both.

To be honest I haven't really thought of my parents as _my_ parents in a long while. On second thought, I haven't thought of my family as my family in a long while. The only family I really have is the family I made in the Academy and Ichiraku's.

The squeals from upstairs started, it almost surprised me. But I hear their annoying, high-pitched squeals every other hour of the day so I'm used to it.

Pretend airplane noises ringed through the upper hallways, down the stairs, and into the dining room. I almost pretended to smile in greeting before I changed my mind and grabbed a bowl for my cereal. _'They wouldn't have noticed me anyway.'_ I thought. I should probably eat with my _'family'_ for this '_very special morning'_. It was, after all, Junsei and Shinzou's birthday today.

'_And what do I get for my birthday? A 5 dollar bill _**{let's pretend they have Canadian money, ok?}**_ and a free bowl of Ramen at Ichiraku's. And that free bowl was not bought by my father. It was given to me by Teuchi-san.'_ I kept quiet as my mother came in with Shinzou in her arms, the little brat giggling to no end. Mother dropped him on his high chair just as father came in with Junsei on his shoulders.

"_Presenting_…one of the most precious boys created in this fine village, one/half of the saviours who sealed the Nine-Tails….!" Father's voice was thunderous, honestly boisterous and excited for his boys' birthday. _'What…what I wouldn't give to be treated…be treated like that by him.'_ I thought, enviously staring at Junsei's spot on father's shoulders. I'd always wanted a ride on his shoulders like I've seen a bunch of boys and girls have in the streets of Konoha.

Kushina and Shinzou started drum-rolling while I pour some milk into my bowl of cereal.

"Introducing…Namikaze Junsei!" Minato came into the dining room, cheering with Junsei.

I looked at my father and I frowned just a little bit. I was the carbon copy of Minato and I _hated_ it. It _sucked_ whenever someone, thinking that they're complimenting me, told me I looked just like him. Probably the reason why I hate it is because my parents hate me, and the feeling was pretty freaking mutual.

'_Well, it might not be hate per say…I mean they still allow me to live here.'_ I thought. _'They just don't love me.'_

"Cake! Cake!" the two brates started chanting, one after the other. Both twins were thumped their chubby little fists against the tray table on their high chairs and I almost groaned at the annoying sounds. 'Maybe sitting here was a bad idea…? I knew I should've just packed some breakfast along with lunch and ate at Ichiraku's. There at least I'm welcome.'

"No, no, sons. The cake come later at the big party we're throwing." Kushina silenced them. "But we can get Naruto to make some extra waffles, right boy?" at the words 'right boy' Minato looked at me with a commanding tone, his eyes challenging me to defy him. I almost rolled my eyes and protested but I knew that it would be futile today. So I stuffed the rest of my cereal in my mouth and down my gullet as I went to make an extra batch of waffles for the twins. I washed the dishes before I went upstairs, not a single word shared to my parents.

'_You know…I don't think they've heard my voice in the last couple of months.'_ I thought to myself, pondering whether or not that was true. I never really talked while I'm at the house. I'm usually out all day, only coming back an hour or two after sunset. But _of course_ the parents didn't care, just as long as I didn't wake the boys up or disturbed them or anything when I _did_ come back home.

_Whatever…_

I headed out without even a single word, or look, of acknowledgment from my so called "family".

And it's so stupid that after all these years I still get a little disappointed over it.

**I get a little depressed writing this… I blame Louise, she challenged me. Hope you like…?**

**-Jamie**


	2. Chapter 2-Friends

**Hi there! For all of you have reviewed (so far) I have written you a small note at the end of this chapter. I don't think you can, like, tag people like in Facebook or Instagram or something (both of which I, sadly, do not own because if I did I would be filthy, stinking rich). I don't think you can so I'm just gonna write down the names that were provided with the review and hope that the people who sent it read the message I'm sending back. :)**

**===Chapter 2===  
==="Friends"===**

Walking into class and seeing a familiar patch of dark hair I felt instantly at ease and more positive about the day already. We teased the heck out of each other and we're the biggest rivals but he was also my best friend and a true brother. Rivalries and friendships go hand in hand after all. He was Sasuke Uchiha.

After his older brother murdered his entire clan we almost drifted apart. Our friendship, which we formed a year or two before the massacre in a playground (where we fought and befriended afterwards), was as strong and close as it was now and _we almost lost it_. But with his sudden loneliness that came after the massacre and the month and a half of avoiding any all human contact we sort of gravitated towards each other after a little while. It was hard for him to believe that I felt lonely and orphan-like living with the most family-like family in Konhagakure (well, to the public anyway. They like to keep appearances and in public I'm their beloved first born. Bull.) But I got through to Sasuke after explaining a few things about my home life. Now we're closer than ever.

…even if we do annoy the hell out of each other.

"Sup Teme," I greeted, setting into the seat next to him.

"The sky…dobe."

"No need to be a smart ass over it. And I'm not a dobe, you know that!" I protested.

"And it's hilarious when you freak out over it, you know that." His smug little smirk was ugly, ugly as bull poop and I hated that all girls fell at his feet for it. Stupid Uchiha.

"Whatever teme!"

"Dobe,"

"Teme!"

"Dobe."

"Teme!"

"Naruto, Sasuke, up to your usual troublesome banter I see." I turn to see Shikamaru, one of my friends, standing next to Kiba, my other friend. We all became friends when we were little, around the same time as Sasuke and I met. Sasuke was happier then, seeing as his brother wasn't as much as a psycho, and we all had fun doing random little kid stuff. We mostly played amateur pranks on each other and unsuspecting civilians. We were known as the little spawns of the devil, we were so mean to adults.

Nowadays I'm the only one doing pranks, though the guys help me sometimes on a really good day. I do more intricate pranks now on civilians and chunins. As a fighting genius I never get caught, unless I want to be. Most of the time I do let them catch me so I can get some form of acknowledgment from my father when they take me up to the Hokage Tower for punishment. Otherwise, the old man wouldn't give me the time of day—unless it's to order me around or something.

"Shikamaru! Where have you been?" I get up and give him a little chest bump-back pat greeting. **[I'm a girl ok? I don't really know how guys greet each other because how I hug is like I haven't seen them in a while. I'm not a guy and I don't have any brothers so I wouldn't know.]**

"You saw me yesterday." I ignored his flat tone as I greeted Kiba. "Geez, no matter how old we get you guys will never stop arguing like this huh?" Kiba asked me "Probably not!" I laughed. Akamaru yipped in Kiba's hoodie as I scratched the back of his ear.

Akamaru's eyes seemed to be asking me whether I brought him a treat or not. 'Please?' his stupid puppy-dog eyes get me every time. I come prepared though because I knew this would happen and I dug one out from my pocket and give it to him.

"You spoil him too much." Kiba commented.

"You don't spoil him enough." I countered. Akamaru seemed to agree with my statement as he nudges Kiba's cheek with his canines.

"Will you guys not argue today? At least, not as loudly as you usually do? I wanna catch up on my sleep…" Shikamaru muttered, walking around our desks.

"It's the teme's fault! He knows I can be the top of the class if I wanted to—"

"Not really, just the P.E stuff and anything to do with fighting." Kiba interjected. He was swiftly ignored by all.

"—and he insists on calling me a dobe!" I pout and sat on Sasuke's desk, facing him and pointing my finger in his face, which he ignores in favour of looking out the window like the emo he is.

"Yeah, Mr. Genius, we know. You decided to curse us with your presence longer than necessary by staying here instead of graduating and becoming a chunin or jounin or whatever." Shikamaru lazily joked, waving his hand in the air, as he sat himself down in his usual seat behind and above me while Kiba took the seat next to mine. Kiba laughed at Shikamaru's joke while I looked offended.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed.

Truth is, the reason why I haven't already graduated is because father ignores me so much that he can't even listen long enough for his own first-born son to tell him that he was a fighting genius and that his son doesn't need to be in the Academy anymore. Whatever, at least I can hang out with my friends more.

(Even if it does hurt every time he deliberately avoids me, flat out ignores me, and still expect me to be the perfect son which is probably just a free slave to him.)

But I ignore that little stabbing pain in my chest as I see my friends start laughing at Shikamaru's joke and I couldn't help but join in when I saw Teme crack a little and start to chuckle under his breath. It's not like they knew what I was going through, I only told Sasuke.

"GOAL!" [**I don't really remember what they said but I think it was this. If not, please tell me.]**

The outburst was enough to rattle me and Kiba. While Shikamaru and Sasuke could care less, Kiba and I looked over to see what the hub-bub's about Sakura and Ino was at it again. They've been at each other's throat since we were kids. I never understood why, they were such good friends before their falling out. Oh well.

Kiba went back to playing around with Akamaru but my eyes lingered just a little longer on Sakura. She was my current crush, ever since I saw her with that cute little bow when she first entered the academy. Of course she wasn't my first crush, I've been in contact with the children of other adults from different clans since birth. I think the clan heads and all would like to have some sort of connection to the highest position in Konoha. The quickest connection would be through the children, now it's mostly the twins thank goodness. It was tiresome…

The point is, I've had crushes before Sakura-chan. But the other girl that I really liked didn't seem to like me very much, she was really quiet whenever I came around.

I liked Sakura's long pink hair and her jade green eyes. She's always had a major crush on Sasuke though, like most girls in class. Not that I mind all that much, it's like this with most of the girls Sasuke's ever met. I don't really get that, he's just so…emo. But whatever, I guess girls like the dark, 'brooding', mysterious types. Sasuke got like that after…well, you know what.

Sakura's eyes scanned the room until it rested in my direction. She suddenly had a bright smile on her face and rushed towards my direction. At once, the emotional and dense side of me was ecstatic over the possibility that she might've been excited to see me.

"_Yatta!"_

But with that came the logical side of me (shocking, it exists!) and it was saying that it was only logical that Sakura would come to talk to Sasuke. She was, after all, completely in love with my best friend, who was sitting right in front of me. 'Sigh, the life of me…'

"Hello Sasuke-kun…"

"_See?"  
"…Y-Yeah…"_

"Hi Naruto-kun…"

"_Ehh?"_

"Eh?" I cried, my eyes widening. _'D'oh! Man!'_ I screamed in my head as I saw her flinch with a little surprised expression on her face. _'Hurry and save yourself! SAVE YOURSELF!'_ "Uh, I mean, h-_hi _Sakura-chan! Anything I can help you with?" I practically yelled. She stepped back a little, her eyes a little alarmed.

'_Great. You've done it _now _Namikaze!'_ I screamed at myself in my head, mentally killing myself. Why do I always have to act like such an idiot?

"A-Actually, I was going to ask whether Sasuke-kun would want to sit with us at lunch today…" Sakura's eyes flickered from me to my best friend. I pretty much gave up on life as I slipped from Sasuke's desk and slumped in my chair. You could pretty much see my soul fly up from my mouth.

Kiba guffawed at my mess up, like the sucky best friend he was.

"S-Shut up Kiba!" I groaned, deflating.

Shikamaru looks at us, seeing me mourning the loss of my…my heart, life, soul, dignity—you take your pick. "Just give it up Naruto. You've tried for a long time but Sakura isn't going to go out with you. Geez, your depressing tendencies after she shoots you down, or after you shoot yourself down, is troublesome." I could hear the little smirk he must be carrying at the corner of his mouth.

"You suck Shikamaru, you shut up too." I grunted. Shikamaru was just about my height of genius, in the smart side of the coin. I was the fighting genius, not the tactical strategy genius. Thing is…he's too lazy to try! But he does excel, even if he does sleep 70% percent of the time. I'm willing to bet he and Sasuke were neck and neck for being Rookie of the Year in our class. I needed to maintain an image so I did my best to stay in 3rd runner up, just behind those two.

Shikamaru was about to catch another cat-nap until Kiba decided to sit on his desk and bother him. I looked around the class and watched how everyone interacted with one another. I see Sakura dejectedly return to her little circle of friends/fan-girls which included Ino, even though they don't see eye to eye on much. I saw her, and the rest of her friends', disappointed expressions and deduced that Sasuke refused her invitation, I knew he would. He's not very fond of the fan-club he got.

I notice people would give me a few smiles and waves. I gave a few of them a smile back, even though I didn't really know any of them. Being the Yondaime Hokage's son sort of makes sure that you're bound to have a few people wanting to be your friend just for the _status_ or _power_. It left me almost friendless. I'm glad I met my 3 amigos. Otherwise, I'd be stuck in a completely plastic world filled with plastic friends, a plastic family, and a plastic smile.

'_My smile is real…'_

I looked back to see Shikamaru, Kiba, and Sasuke laughing at something Kiba did. Though the Teme was mostly smirking and chuckling than outright laughing. I smiled, enjoying the moment.

'_I smile…because of my friends.'_

I join them, laughing at their random jokes.

'_Arigato.'_

**=====End of Chapter 2=====**

**Now for the responses to the reviews (that I have read at this time)**

**From: Tensa-Zangetsu102  
"Are you just going to leave this fic unfinished like many other neglected type figs? If that's the case, you better just delete this fic and stop wasting other people's time waiting for the next chapter!"**

**To: Tensa-Zangestsu102  
I won't abandon this FIC (lol, you might want to check your spelling and stuff before you post up reviews. I make little mistakes like this too, you're not alone.) I'm pretty sure Louise wouldn't let me! But I don't think that it would really be me if people waste their own time waiting for a chapter from me, it's their choice whether or not they want to do something a little more productive with their time than stare at the screen waiting for my next chapter (no matter how flattering that might sound). But thanks for the concern you seem to have for other people.**

**From: Guest  
"And why Naruto stay here? If he is genius, he should just go aways. And also, why wanting to become Hokage?"**

**To: Guest  
Guest-chan, is English, perhaps, not your first language. Sorry, it just seems like it isn't your best language. To answer your first question…well, it was answered in this chapter. It will go into more detail in the Chapter 3: Problems of a Secret Genius. The answer to your second question is in the summary, no? "I WILL be the Hokage of the village. I'm gonna surpass the old man and I'm gonna show him…show him I'm worthwhile. No matter what, I'm gonna show ALL of them I'm worthwhile!"  
Now I don't know whether you are reading this, Guest-chan, but here are your answers!**

**From: Tormound  
"Let's see where this goes. Try to keep low on the bashing."**

**To: Tormound  
Arigato! I will try to keep low on the bashing, I'll do my best! Thanks for the tip!**

**To: Louise  
You greedy little imouto you~! Love ya~ 3**

**From: alex02  
"Cool love it"**

**To: alex02  
Why thank you, I'm glad you do. :) Thank you for following my story and adding me to your favourite author list. Much appreciated.**

**From: Dracohalo117  
"Nice first chapter, definitely different from other neglected Naruto fics…  
Dracohalo117"**

**To: Dracohalo117  
Thank you Draco-san. This is my first Neglected Naruto fic—actually it's my first solely Naruto fic. I haven't actually read any of the other ones out there, just in case I accidentally steal their ideas. I'm glad my gut was right this time!**

**From: .kitten  
"I thoroughly enjoy the first chapter hope to see a update soon again"**

**To: .kitten  
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Here's that update you wanted! I love your name by the way~**

**From: Streema  
"I like this kind of story! Your story is very interesting! Moreover, I like NaruHina! Please, write the next!"**

**To: Streema  
My first response was "thank you Streema-san, I will." Now my response is "Thank you Steema-san. Here you go!" Oh and I like NaruHina as well. I'm pretty sure I'll have the main pairing be NaruHina. What do you think? :)**

**And to those of you who have followed/favourite my fiction (and followed/favourite myself as an author) I am eternally grateful to you wonderful people! I hope you liked this chapter! I wouldn't mind if you left a review but it's totally fine if you don't!**

**-Jamie**


	3. Chpt3-Problems of a not-so-secret Genius

**I'm back~~ Sorry for the wait! If you would like to read why I was gone for so long go to my other story and read the bottom of the last chapter. Thank you!**

**Chapter 3- Problems of a not-so-secret Secret Genius!  
**

"Alright class, listen up! Your Final Exam is today! You've already done the written portion of the test last week so today will be the practical. It will basically be everything you learned. Most of it is already done, as you know, so now it's just one jutsu. The last thing you will be tested on today is…" He unnecessarily trailed off.

**[I feel like they would've had some sort of written test or oral exam to show that they should at least know chakra… hahaha recognize the reffrence? Yeah, I'll rant a little more about that later at the end of the chapter…]**

We all leant in eagerly, except for the "cool" guys (aka: Sasuke, Shikamaru, Shino…)

"Clones!"

There was a collective groan around the room. I could hear murmurs of 'busted' and 'I'm so dead' around me but I smirked.

This one time when I was smaller (the twins were only born just a year before) and Mother brought all three of us to Father's office (I'm pretty sure she brought me because I was too small to leave behind. She was ignorant but not cruel). I sneaked off to the private library father had with my already super ninja skills and I snooped through all the scrolls I could find.

I found this really big one that looked important and I found the super awesome "Kage Bunshin". I copied everything as fast as I could with some spare scroll I found and wrote with some pencil I found lying around. Then later on at night, I slipped out into the yard through my bedroom window and into the part of the training grounds just out of the sight of my parent's bedroom window. I practiced for a couple of hours and I finally got it. Training every night, I mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"Ehehehe~" I chuckled maniacally, rubbing my hands together in anticipation.

"You know, you look really creepy doing that. You sound really creepy too." Kiba remarked with his eyes squinting and twitching ever so slighty.

"Whatever do you mean…?" My voice switched into a lilting creepy, haunting drawl as I leaned closer to Kiba. My fingers drumming against each other close to my face.

Kiba leaned away to maintain some distance, beads of sweat rolling down from his temple. "N-Naruto…!"

"We'll be calling people's names one by one. When you hear your name you will be examined in the next room! Everyone got it?" Iruka asked, gaining all our attention back.

"Hai!" the majority of the class answered. Iruka smiled and read off the first name, which was neither mine nor anyone of my friends' names so I paid no mind to it.

"_Hai sensei~…_" I cackled, still facing Kiba and leaned further to mess with him a little more.

I was about lean away and laugh at his face but I felt someone push me further and had me and Kiba tumbling down our bench to the unforgiving floor.

I yelped and when I landed on Kiba I felt something on my…

Good lord _no_.

I jumped up and spat out a bunch of white fur and dog slime. "Ew! Ew! Ew!" I cried, jumped from one foot to another as I brushed at my tongue frantically with my hands. "Ew, Akamaru, no!"

Tongue and all, my first kiss was with a dog.

There was a brief pregnant silence before the class erupted into erupted with guffaws. My face burned as I sputtered. **[I love that word]**

'_That…that teme!'_

As things settled though, my sensitive hearing could pick up a faint tinkling laughter. I would look for the girl that owns that giggle, even though I already knew who she was.

But right now…_I'll settle with killing the teme!_

**_YYUUPPPPPP THIS IS A LINE THAT SIGNIFIES THE CHANGING OF A SCENE BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE THE LITTLE PATTERNS I CREATE ON THE SCREEN WHEN I DID THIS BEFORE SO NOW YOU CAN GO ON WITH THE STORY IN EASE..._**

One thing I must not have explained yet. I am a genius. And no, I'm not just patting myself on the back here. I really am a genius. I've already mastered whatever it is that the Academy is supposed to teach us. I've tried to tell my parents but they kinda suck. They never take notice of me and when they do it's to order me around or something.

So I sucked it up and dealt with it. It's fine by me if I waste a couple of years in the academy, at least I can make a few friends along the way.

The way to _what_, exactly? To being Hokage of course! My old man may be a sucky father but even I have to say that he's a good Yondaime Hokage. But I wanna be even _better_ than him, I want to _surpass_ him. I want to finally show him that I was worth I, I'm worthy of the Namikaze name! That he can look at me one day and finally say that he…he loves me too…

I mean—you know if—like, maybe if—but then again, I—oh what the—

"Namikaze Naruto." Iruka sensei's voice brought me out of my musings.

What? "It's my turn already?" I looked up from my place on the desk.

"Yeah, weirdo I already went, like, a million years ago." Kiba turned to me, laughing at my astonished face. "Idiot!" He laughed at me. I must've fallen asleep or lost track of time while thinking…

"Namikaze Naruto!" Iruka yelled. Oops, lost in thought again!

"Haha, get up there baka! Stop day dreaming already." Kiba punched my shoulder as he got up so I had room to get out.

"Shut up, Kiba!" I grunted, punching him back with a small grin.

"Good luck." Kiba wished.

"Thanks!" I answered. "I don't need it." I soliloquized. See that big word? Genius (You can't see it, but I'm pointing to myself right now).

I could feel a few eyes on me but most kids were just conversing to themselves or preparing for their turn. I walked with complete and utter confidence because, seriously, I don't need to walk with anything else. I'm gonna pass this with ultimate flying colours.

Believe it!

I was about to try and fool you guys into thinking that I didn't pass but who am I kidding? Of course I passed! I passed so good I wondered why I didn't do this sooner.

Oh right; _'Dad'_.

You see, unless you're an orphan, you need a 'guardian's' signature on the slip. So I need my father to sign a paper or two saying that I can graduate early and advance to whatever level is necessary, which is decided by the Hokage. Ha, ha, ha.

That's some kind of irony there.

**[I don't know whether that's really how it works but my story so my rules, right?]**

You could probably tell how that conversation went with my 'dad'. He just stared at me with this barely hidden incredulity like he didn't believe with at least a sliver of his brain that I could actually advance to a higher level at this point in time. He didn't believe his own first born. I'm not saying that whatever order you come in as siblings determine the order of how much a parent loves you (I am not saying that _at all_) but being the first born son has to stand for something, doesn't it?

'_Whatever he was probably just couldn't believe I could do this at this age. Even if though I heard he was a prodigy too. It runs in the family, whether he likes it or not.'_ I rolled my eyes and leaned into the window to look out into the middle distance. _'Apparently…not.'_

I sighed and crossed my arms, leaning my side against the window as I looked out into the sky.

At least, I would like to think he just didn't believe me in some way, a little disbelief or uncertainty will be fine or something along those lines. It helped keep the other, more negative, thoughts at bay; at least for a little while.

"Stop thinking so much, dobe, it'll overload the peanut you call a brain." I felt the back of my head being slapped.

I yelped and rubbed my head to alleviate the pain. "Like you're any better…" You have no room to talk teme." I grumbled as I sent him a weak little flare, which he ignored in favour of looking out the window to stare at the blank air behind it.

I did crack a grin though. Sasuke was trying to cheer me up in his own teme way.

"Whatever just stop that. You wanted to be Hokage? Now you're one step closer. So just start acting like an idiot like you usually do because," he smirked at me "brooding is something only I can make look good." I laughed, pushing his head to the side, both of us laughing a little. Yeah, so Sasuke is a little cocky. Annoying as it is, I rather prefer a fun and cocky Sasuke to a dark and creepy Sasuke any day.

I looked out into the window again to stare determinedly into the sky.

"Yeah." I mumbled.

I leaned on the sill on my forearms with him and we bumped each other's shoulders playfully every once in a while, chuckling together.

_**...THIS IS ANOTHER LINE OF WORDS THAT ARE ONLY USEFUL FOR THE PURPOSE OF SIGNIFYING THE CHANGING OF THE SCENES IN MY STORY. PLEASE PROCEED...**_

It was the end of the day and this is the part of the day that I always didn't like but I always endured.

There's this swing, just a little wooden seated one, just in front of the academy under the shade of an ordinary tree.

There it sat, lonely and forgotten by most children, except for me. I sit there, one leg on either side of the seat, watching everyone from the comfort of the shadow.

Children are pouring out from the opening of the school and into the arms of their parents. Smiling, laughing, teasing, proud parents who greet them with arms wide open. Mother who envelope them in a warm embrace, fathers who ruffle the kid's hair and call them all kinds of nicknames and endearments with a proud fatherly light shining in their eyes.

With a gently smile they ask their child how their day went, they all do this. And with an excited gleam in their eyes, the children would respond in earnest. And sometimes I would see one of the parents give the kid a shoulder ride or a piggy back ride. They were a little more excitable today as they all just graduated from the school. The fathers were extra proud, mothers extra loud, and Naruto all the more quiet as he leaned on the rope of the swing.

I would watch on, feeling lonely and forgotten like my little swing.

There was a time when my own father and mother loved me liked that. But around the time the twins were conceived the little affections they would give me would stop, little by little. Father would stop smiling in my company and mother wouldn't let me hold her hand, too conveniently busy with something else.

Then, not too much later, my little 6 year old self realized…

They didn't love me anymore.

So from then on I kept quiet in the house. I did _everything_ I was told and did _everything_ as perfectly as I could. I tried to be the _perfect_ son I could be for my father. I tried to make him _love_ me again. I even tried to be his personal butler but he just thought I was being annoying.

I worked hard at school, I trained hard _every day_. I trained so hard I would collapse and I could _barely_ breath. My muscles were sore every day and I was in the top of the class. But it _still_ wasn't enough. I was dismissed with a busy hum. I was written off as just 'that kid'. I finally just stopped trying. My grades dropped and I suddenly became quiet again. No one knew why, the only one I told about my…'home' life was Sasuke. When Iruka-sensei asked if something was wrong I told him it was nothing and ignored all further attempt at finding out what was wrong with me.

My friends saved me, they do that a lot. They healed me without even knowing they did.

But one can't help but look back and wish you still had what you did then. When they would give me piggy backs, when they would laugh with me, when they would smile at me and welcome me home.

But it's okay, kind of. At least, it was getting okay. I still wish my family acknowledged me but it doesn't hurt as much as it did before.

"_Stop thinking so much,"_

Sasuke flashed in my mind. Remembering the scene in class today made me smile.

"_You want to be Hokage? Now you're one step closer."_

I laugh a little. _'How did it turn into _me_ getting a pep talk from _Sasuke_?'_

My fist clenched as I jumped up and out of the swing. I half climbed and half ran (I've been practicing but I don't really have the control down) all the way up the tree. There, standing at the top branch, with the wind in my face as I stood facing my father's stone cut face into the mountain and pumped my fists into the air.

"Watch out old man because I'm one step closer!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, smiling wide. "YATTA! I'll be Hokage soon!_ Believe it!_"

_**...THIS IS THE LAST ALMOST USELESS JUMBLE OF WORDS THAT DON'T ACTUALLY MEAN ANYTHING TO ME, YOU, OR THE STORY BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT IS MEANT TO SIGNIFY THE CHANGING OF THE SCENES AND DOES NOT CAUSE YOU ANY SORT OF CONFUSION ANYMORE AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MY WRITING SKILLS. PLEASE CONTINUE...**_

Hinata looked out of the window of the classroom. She just about finished gathering her stuff when she heard a familiar voice yelling from outside the window.

Pretty much knowing who it is already Hinata looked outside and there, at the top of the tree, was Naruto yelling at the top of his lungs with a wide smile on his face.

"Good job Naruto-kun, I'll be rooting for you every step of the way." Hinata whispered with her soft voice as low as a little wisp in the wind. Putting her things away, she headed out, smiling as she heard another "whoop" outside.

**...THERE ALL DONE...  
**

**Sorry for the wait! I say again, if you would like to read my excuse for the long wait you might want to check out the bottom of the last chapter of my other story.**

**Anyway, my rant about that whole 'knowing about chakra' thing earlier in the chapter isn't really that much of a rant. I just laughed a little when I re-watched Naruto 1 for the 20****th**** time and I noticed that he went to a ninja school and didn't even know what chakra was. As thankful as I was for the little info, as when we all first watched Naruto we probably didn't fully understand what their chakra was, I just found it quite funny that Naruto didn't know what he's been using to use jutsus.**

**Anyways, sorry again for the wait!**

**-Jamie**


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